Method of treating cypress



Nov. 19, 1929. s. D. BUTTERWORTH 3 ,1 5

METHOD OF TREATING CYPRESS Filed July so. 1928 WIN WWW, W Mini 1 "J I I! INVENTOR. Samuel D. Dutterwort/z ATTORNEY.

Patented. Nov. 1 19.29

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 SAMUEL D. BUTTERWORTH, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR, BY IXIIIRJEG'J. AND

\ MESNE'ASSIGNMENTS, OF ONE-HALF TO JOSEPHINE M. IBUTTERWORTE ONE- HALF TO 0. P. GABLE, OF GABLE, SOUTH CAROLINA METHOD OF TREATING CYPRESS Application filed July 80,-

5 tion is concerned primarily with the making of wood surfaces also useful for doors,

' paneling, cabinet construction, woodwork,

or the like. The invention is also concerned with the flooring itself, and the manner in 10 which it is laid.

are required One of the most essential features of the invention resides in the steps by means of which the wood, is. treated to efl'ect -a finished wearing surface, as will be brought out in more detail later in the specification. In the accompanying drawings: I Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a wooden, timber which may be used in making'up the flooring.

- Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same,

who

after it has been cut to the proper cross section.

s Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a number of timbers secured together and illustrating how tile-like sections are sliced from this composite timber.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the finished flooring.

Fig. 5 is a detail of the manner in which Fig. 6 is a detailed sectional view similar to Fig. 5 showing a modification wherein a fabric floor covering is used with an insert."

Inasmuch as this invention contemplates the wooden 1928. Serial No. 298,128.

cedar, althou' suitable for t e purpose.

Suitable timbers suchas 1, of the desired wood, are preferably first'kiln-dried and then the timbers may be cut lengthwise to give the same the desired cross section as shown at 2. In the form shown, four timbers '2 may be used with one of the timbers 1 which may be placed together as shown in Fig. 3, so that the end forms the design as shown. This design is shown for exemplary purposes only for it is to be appreciated that an innumerable number of designs may be veffected.

The timbers, as shown in Fig. 3, are now securely fixed together and this may beaccomplished by g uing the timbers together, holding them compressed tightly together as the glue sets. Preferably a verygood grade of lue which is water-proof is used.. fter this glue has dried and the timbers are securely fixed together the composite block is cut cross-wise thus to form a wooden tile 3. This tile of course has .a design the same as the design efiected in the making of the original composite timber. r

The tiles are now treated in a solution efiects a hardening of the wood and whichalso preferably efiects fire-proofing of the wood. This may be done by depositing the tiles in a bath of the solution for a suit able len hofJtime. preferab y a solution which, upon evaporation, leaves deposits of solid materials in the wood. Examples of the solutions which m be used are, sodium silicate, zinc oxide, alumlnum sulphate, and ammonium sulphate.

It has been found that some of these solutions'work to'mgre advantage with a. articular kind'of wood than othersolutlons, and sodium silicate is perhaps the most preferable of the solutions mentioned because it is found that it works satisfactorily with'the several woods and because of its cheapness.

After the wooden tiles are thus-treated, at least one surface is finished as by means of sandpapering and bufiing.

tiles are treated with oilwhich may be done 'by dipping the tiles in an oil 4 bath or by merely applying oil to the bufied .The solution used is Following this h there maybe other woods ferred to use this cheap oil which is in step with the contemplations of the inventioIT in providing a wooden flooring orthe like which can be had at a market price more reasonable than which wooden flooring has heretofore been obtainable.

The treating of the wooden tile with the oil, followin this treatment with the solution which feaves solid deposits is an important one. The solid deposits of the solu tion'will occur in the pores of the wood in and around the fibres and when the wood is subsequently treated with oil it'is found that a polished appearance results as distinguished from the oily effect or' appearance present when non-treated wood is oiled.

Moreover, the oil-treating step following .the hardening and fire-proofing ofthe wood brings out the color of the wood in addition to giving the same a polished appearance.

Thus the tiles are entirely complete and ready to be laid into the floor or incorporated into a panel,-a door, or the like.

'While there occurs this polished appearance, there is in reality no polished surface as there is in the case of a wooden floor which is varnished 'or waxed. This is desirable because there is no surf ce'finishing to wear away and which must e replaced from time to time inasmuch as the wood fibres are treated and which treatment extends into the wood so that in use the polished appearance always remains although there may be a wearing away of the wooden fibres. Moreover, a floor constructed of this tile is advantageous because of the lack of a slick surface. Accordingly, the floor has good gripping qualities, and there is practically no danger of one using the floor of slipping or falling. t

A floor thus constructed of wooden'tile is one which possesses long life and which requires a mlnimum of attention. Its glossy appearance is a lasting one which does not wear away inasmuch as the appearance comes about by treatment of the fibres of the wood, and in fact its good appearance increases in use if the same is dusted from da to day with an oil mop or the like. The oor does not become warped on account'of the end grain arrangement of the wood inasmuch as all shrinkage in the wooden tile is vertical, .or rather, in the direction ofthe grain. Moreover, a floor constructed of the wooden tile is completed in its entirely upon the laying of the tile. It can be used immediately, there ations required.

being no additional sanding or finishing oper- The preferred manner of laying the floor 1s lllustrated in Fig. 4 in which the wooden tile floor is floated upon its base. A conventional concrete flooring of a modern steel and concrete building is referenced 5 and the wooden flooring is merely floated upon'the concrete with no means of attachment there- 'to. The wooden tile pieces may be secured face, as illustrated in Fig. 5. Accordingly,

it is preferable to place a filler between the wooden floor and the concrete of the base. forthe purpose of absorbin such irregularities. This filler may be in t e form of paper or composition board, and as shown in Fig. 5 the filler is in the form of paper board having exterior facings 7 and 8 with an interior corrugated member 9. This filler is more or less distortable and accommodates for irregularities in the concrete arid also acts as a silencer. 1

' It is important to note that the filler used between the floor base and the wearing part of the floor can be of relatively cheap fiber board construction. lireferably the exterior layer 9 is of relatively light construction to permit the filler to adjust itself to the irregularitiesin the base, as clearly shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The layer 7, however,-is preferably of thicker material and accordingly stronger and stifier.

The interior corrugated member 8 distorts somewhat at the corrugations which lie over a rise in the .floor,and the filler provides a permanent air cushion between the base and the wearing part of the floor. It is prefefable that one or both of the exterior layers 7 and 9 be water-proofed. This prevents 5 This fiber board insert is also advanta geous for use with the floors other than wood. For example, in Fig. 6, there is, shown a floor wherein a fabric carpet 10 is laid over the fiber board insert. It has been the g practice" in many places to lay a thick felt pad underneath these carpets, but this is very 1,7se,'1'se 3 expensive and allows the car et to wrinkle grain manner which comprises treating the and fold'so that it is diflicu t to make the cypress with a solution of sodium silicate carpet lie flat. By the use of this fiber board and with a paralfin oil.

insert, however, the same hugs the floor base and is not subject to folding or wrinkling and at the same time the insert is relatively cheap. This insert will provide an air cushion for the flooring-and the corrugated inner member willstand up under a long period of use, especially when the exterior layers are water-proof to prevent moisture from softening the inner corrugated member. In some of the claims appended hereto use is made of the term surface member of the fioor and this term isintended to cover any floor covering, whether it be wood, carpet or other material.

Accordingly, it will be seen that a minimum of time and labor is required to lay the floor inasmuch as the woodenfloor is merely floated upon the concrete or other base with no attachments to the base neces sary. Also upon the completion of the la 'ng of the floor it is ready for use. One 0 the primary features of this invention is the fact that a lasting wooden fioor can be had at a, cost materially less than wooden floors otherwise proposed and less than floors constructed of inferior materials. The cheapness of the solutions in which the wood can be treated is the fact that a low grade of oil can be used and the fact that the floor can be laid with a minimum of trouble and time, are factors which all enter into the provision of a floor obtainable at relatively low costs.

Claims: 1

1. The method of preparing cypress to adapt it rimarily for use in floors, wall cov ering, ca. inet work, or the like, in an end grain manner which comprises, treating the cypress with a solution of sodium silicate and an oil.

2. The method of preparing cypress to adapt it primarily for use in floors, wall cov ering, cabinet work, or the like, in an end grain manner which comprises, first treating the cypress with a' solution of sodium silicalte and then treating the cypress with an 01 I 3. The method of preparing cypress to adapt. itprimarily for use in floors, wall covering, cabinet work, or the like, in an end gr'ain manner which comprises, impregnating the cypress with a solution of sodium silicate and treating the cypress with an oil.

4[ The method of preparing cypress to adapt it primarily for use in floors, wall covering, cabinet work, or the like, in an end grain manner 'WhlCll comprises, first treating the cypress with a solution of sodium silicate, allowing evaporation to take place, and then treating the cypress with an oil.

5.'The method of preparing cypress to,

adapt it primarily for use in fioors,.wall covering, cabinet work, or the like, in an end In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

SAMUEL D. BUTTERWORTH. 

